The reign of Tom Nook is absolute in Nintendo’s homeland and his iron-grip on the Switch’s sales hasn’t loosened yet, as Animal Crossing: New Horizons has outsold both Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Pokémon Sword & Shield in Japan, with Super Smash Bros. Ultimate being the only Switch game that has sold better in the region.
It was recently revealed that Animal Crossing: New Horizons is the third fastest-selling Nintendo game of all time, behind only Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and Super Smash Bros. Brawl. This doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s going to be one of the best-selling Nintendo games of all time, as these numbers only consider the first month of its release. Games like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe have sold consistently well over the past three years and it’s possible that Animal Crossing: New Horizons could see a significant drop-off in sales in the future, especially when the self-isolation period starts to wind down.
It seems that the incredible launch of Animal Crossing: New Horizons is set to make it the best-selling Nintendo Switch game in Japan. According to the latest figures released by Famitsu, Animal Crossing: New Horizons has sold 3,611,246 units in Japan so far. This means that it has outsold both Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Pokémon Sword & Shield in the region. The only Nintendo Switch game that has sold more in Japan is Super Smash Bros. Ultimate with 3,655,868 units, and Animal Crossing: New Horizons seems poised to topple it from the top spot within the space of a few weeks.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons still has a ways to go if it wants to become the best-selling Nintendo Switch game around the globe, as that title is currently held by Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and its 22.96 million units sold to date. Being the best in Japan is just one step in the process, as Animal Crossing: New Horizons still needs to take the top spot in Europe and North America if it wants to be the most popular Switch game.
There were high expectations for Animal Crossing: New Horizons’s sales going in, but no one could have predicted the incredible response that the game has received. The past two Nintendo consoles saw Mario Kart games as their best-selling games of all time, but it feels as if Animal Crossing: New Horizons has what it takes to break the streak.
Source: Famitsu
